Researchers are finding out more evidence that physical inactivity results in increased weight gain.

It’s already known not enough physical movement contributes to obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

Researchers found that a sedentary lifestyle contributes to fat accumulation around the organs of the body, which can result in the fat pressing on the organs and damaging them.

There are several things you can do to keep moving.

• You can take a walk.  
• Ride a bicycle.
• Take the stairs.
• Give yourself breaks at work so you can walk around and stretch.  
• Find opportunities to stand instead of sit.

Source:  Too Much Time Sitting Causes Body Fat to Accumulate Around Organs

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!
 


 By Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments
615-556-8406
Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

 Have Hope! Renew Health! and...........

Emotional and Physical Pain.............
Pin Prick or Crushing ?

Part of the treatment and healing process for the physical or emotional pain one feels, whether pain on the skin’s surface or a broken heart, might be to convey one’s level of pain to others (1). 

Brainstorming with those who have had similar experiences can provide new insights into how to move forward.  Even talking to one’s self in third person (like an outsider looking in) may provide benefits (2).  

All the while, it is good to reflect on whether or not the ways of communicating are achieving positive rather than negative results.  

It is possible that therapy through communication may aid in a determination of whether some physical pain that is present is a result of untreated emotional pain. There can be strong connections between physical and emotional pain (3). 

In addition, emotional pain, such as the kind stemming from betrayal of a loved one long ago, can be relived more intensely in the mind than compared to reflecting deeply on a painful physical injury (4). 

So, care should be taken when communicating emotional pain to others in a manner and frequency that results in the traumatic event being relived over and over (5). 

If forgiveness of others, or rather lack thereof, is involved, many unsettled negative feelings can surface that are as powerful as those that occurred on the day of the event.  This is not to imply that one should be in isolation from others for long periods of time, because this can be harmful.

Living with hope- we are all in this world together trying to figure out ways to heal from traumatic events that sometimes seem indescribable. 

What a blessing it is when we can find someone out there who we could say to at some point, “you get me,” someone who provides help in comforting and nonjudgmental ways.  
   

Giving of ourselves to others, especially those we can empathize with, can bring the joy back and help us achieve a fuller life ahead (6).

“Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”  Proverbs 11:25

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Matthew 5:7

References:

1.  Goldsmith, Barton, Ph.D, “Talk About Your Problems, Please,” Psychologytoday.com, 3 March 2011.

2.  Moser, Jason and others, “Third Person Self-Talk Facilitates Emotion Regulation without Engaging Cognitive Control; Converging Evidence from ERP and fMRI,” Scientific Reports 7, Article No. 4519 (2017)

3.  Babbel, Suzanne, Ph.D, “The Connections between Emotional Stress, Trauma and Physical Pain,” Psychologytoday.com, 8 April 2010

4.  Chen, Z, and others, “When Hurt Will Not Heal:  Exploring the Capacity to Relive Social and Physical Pain,” Psychological Science, Volume 19, pp. 789-795, August 2008

5.  Perry, Philippa, psychotherapist, “When Talking about Your Problems Actually Makes Them Worse,” The Guardian, 25 September 2014

6.  Appelo, Lisa, “When Helping Others is Healing to Ourselves,” lisaappelo.com, 30 October 2015.

  Written by a guest blogger

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!

 


   Diane Davidson Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments

615-556-8406

Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

Disclaimer- I am not a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. My blogs are for information and inspirational purposes. Please consult your doctor before starting a new health regimen.

Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure

Sometimes we just can’t say ”No.”  No to a new toy.  No to a new business expense.  No to another pleasure or thing in our lives.

We feel compelled to pull out our wallet and buy so as to satisfy some inner desire.

But there are great benefits in learning to say, “No.”

It teaches you to wait. 
 It teaches you to delay pleasure. 
  It imposes self-discipline.

Saying, “No” helps you to develop discernment as to what is important and what is not important.

What situations, people, or experiences can you learn to say, “No” to in 2018?

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!
 


 By Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments
615-556-8406
Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

 Have Hope! Renew Health! and...........

Throughout scripture, God calls out the proud, the arrogant, the stiff necked.  He calls them to repentance.

Throughout scripture God delights in the humble, the contrite, and the broken.

Who are the humble, the contrite, and the broken?  Those who fall before God overcome by their sin and weakness.

If the Christian life was all about being victorious, we would not need Christ for very long.  After all, we’d be doing pretty good on our own.

We don’t get broken and contrite hearts by leading a victorious Christian life.  

We get there by stumbling through sin and brokenness and living moment by moment in the grace and strength of God.  

By a contributing blogger, David Mueller 

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!

 


   Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments

615-556-8406

Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

Disclaimer- I am not a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. My blogs are for information and inspirational purposes. Please consult your doctor before starting a new health regimen.

Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure

Free Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Grief Support Group- tonight- Tuesday Jan. 23rd for adults of all ages...@7pm


Pre-screening and pre-registration is required for each meeting.

 Email Diane:
Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com or call or text 615-556-8406 to register or for more information 
   Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure.

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!
 


 By Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments
615-556-8406
Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

 Have Hope! Renew Health! and...........

Free Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Grief Support Group- Tuesday Jan. 23rd for adults of all ages...@7pm


Pre-screening and pre-registration is required for each meeting.

 Email Diane:
Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com or call or text 615-556-8406 to register or for more information 
   Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure.

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!
 


 By Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments
615-556-8406
Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

 Have Hope! Renew Health! and...........

The busyness of our lives is keeping some of us from getting a good night’s rest.  We lie in bed reviewing our unfinished to-do lists and wonder how it will ever get done.  It then seems more and more stuff gets piled on.

Researchers at Baylor University conducted an experiment to find out if writing down a to-do list would help people sleep better.

The experiment involved one set of volunteers writing a to-do list of things yet to be accomplished verses another set of volunteers who wrote down a list of completed tasks.

It turns out that those who wrote down a to-do list, on average, fell asleep nine minutes faster than those people who merely wrote down their list of accomplished tasks.

Researcher, Micael K. Scullin says, “There are two schools of thought about this.  One is that writing about the future would lead to increased worry about unfinished tasks and delay sleep, while journaling about completed activities should not trigger worry. The alternative hypothesis is that writing a to-do list will ‘offload’ those thoughts and reduce worry.”

Source:  Want better sleep? Write a to-do list, study says

 CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!
 


   Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments

615-556-8406

Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

Disclaimer- I am not a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. My blogs are for information and inspirational purposes. Please consult your doctor before starting a new health regimen.

Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure

If you’re lacking energy, it might be due to your food choices.

Writer Jackie Lynch suggests that people may lack energy because they are not:

1.  Eating sufficient protein -  protein gives the body the energy it needs.  Protein also helps to balance blood sugar levels.

2.  Relying on a low carbohydrate diet - A low carb diet can cause low energy.  Eat complex carbs such as whole grains and vegetables.

3.  Ingesting too much caffeine - Caffeine can inhibit the body from taking up sufficient iron which affects the body’s ability to transport oxygen.

4.  Not getting enough exercise - Exercise causes the body to release endorphins which help elevate your mental energy.  Exercise can also give you more physical energy.

5.  Insufficient water intake - Water helps the circulatory system and helps the body’s organs remove toxins.

6.  Too much alcohol - Vitamin B plays a part in the production of energy.  Alcohol can lower those levels.  The sugars in alcohol can also affect the body’s regulation of blood sugar.

Source:  6 Lifestyle Habits That Zap Your Energy

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!

 


   Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments

615-556-8406

Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

Disclaimer- I am not a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. My blogs are for information and inspirational purposes. Please consult your doctor before starting a new health regimen.

Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure

If you’re feeling down or depressed there may be a safe, cheap way to lift your spirits.

Smile!

Apparently the very act of smiling whether you feel happy or not can release “certain hormones including dopamine and serotonin,” according to Dr. Isha Gupta a neurologist from IGEA Brain and Spine. 

 
Additionally, smiling can change how your body responds to stress.

A smile will help lower blood pressure and may help you live longer.

Source:  Smiling Can Trick Your Brain Into Happiness

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!

 


   Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments

615-556-8406

Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

Disclaimer- I am not a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. My blogs are for information and inspirational purposes. Please consult your doctor before starting a new health regimen.

Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure

More Americans are finding it harder to live without their smartphones.  The constant need to be connected is becoming mainstream.

But limiting your smart phone use may improve your mood.

Researchers from Korea University found that “the overuse of smartphones and the internet is creating a chemical imbalance in the bran that leads to anxiety and depression within the user.”

If you’re struggling to give up your smartphone, there are small steps you can take to limit its control.

Don’t sleep with it next to your bed. 

Turn it off. 

Leave the phone at your house while you go outside and exercise. 

If you have a substantial addiction to your smartphone, seek out a counselor.

Source:  Smartphone addiction causing depression and anxiety 

CLICK HERE For Living With Hope Counseling Facebook Page AND "LIKE" IT!

 


   Diane Davidson 
                               Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

 Open Full-Time Days - Monday through Saturday
With Evening Appointments

615-556-8406

Email- Diane@LivingWithHopeCounseling.com

Sliding Scale Fee for Individual Counseling Sessions 

Free Support Groups for: Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Hopelessness, Trauma, PTSD, Abuse, and Grief and Loss (Including Miscarriage/ Stillbirth/ Infant loss)

Disclaimer- I am not a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. My blogs are for information and inspirational purposes. Please consult your doctor before starting a new health regimen.

Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure